Our Team
Curtis Dean | Email Curtis
Co-Founder, Executive Director
Curtis has been involved in community broadband since the late 1990s. He is passionate about the benefits that invariably are derived from the accountability provided when local needs are front and center, whether in public or private partnerships.
Curtis holds a Bachelor of Arts from Buena Vista University and an Executive Master of Public Administration from the University of South Dakota. He knows the words to just about every popular song released since 1980 and still occasionally DJs events in Central Iowa for fun. He is also president of SmartSource Consulting, which provides support for community-focused broadband providers from planning through implementation.
Jon Willow | Email Jon
Co-Founder, CBAN Corp. Board President
Throughout her career, Jon has worked with state and local governments and policy-making bodies in various capacities to improve the quality of life for every person. She has extensive experience supporting utilities in their efforts to connect with their communities, manage crisis communications, and make informed, data-driven business decisions.
Jon is the 2025 MSU REI Innovation Fellow, studying the ethical use of AI for community-based coalitions. Her technical expertise as a Certified Professional Scrum Master and Data Manager for CBAN's Digital Navigator Program - one of 18 selected for the National Digital Inclusion Alliance's pilot cohort - demonstrates her capacity to leverage data for community impact. Jon excels at developing user-friendly workflows and data visualizations that transform complex information into actionable insights for community partners.
Before co-founding CBAN, Jon lived and owned businesses in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for 22 years, successfully exiting all three of her companies. She has been a mentor for SCORE and the Wisconsin Women’s Business Initiative Corporation (WWBIC), where she also served on the loan committee. She is the former Entrepreneurship Director for BizStarts Milwaukee, where she coached new and scaling companies and ran a quarterly SEC-accredited investor event that showcased Southeast Wisconsin’s most promising companies.
Jon holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of Iowa. An advocate for all pollinators, she is a community beekeeping instructor, and raises bees and chickens on her small acreage in northern Michigan.
Marlena Pfeiffer | Email Marlena
Development Manager
Marlena thrives on building meaningful relationships and creating innovative solutions that break the mold when needed. Though relatively new to the broadband industry, she has already made a meaningful impact in the world of municipal fiber. She is a firm believer in the power of collaboration and is passionate about turning big ideas into actionable results, helping communities and stakeholders navigate the path to better connectivity and adoption.
With over a decade of experience in sales, business development, and strategy, Marlena is excited about expanding the reach of CBAN and their mission.
Outside of work, Marlena’s creativity shines through her love of event planning, storytelling, and mentorship work with local teens. She’s also a self-proclaimed trivia whiz with a knack for obscure facts and pop culture references!
Mitchell Shapiro | Email Mitchell
Infrastructure Researcher & Author
Mitchell Shapiro has worked as an independent consultant and author in the telecommunication industry for nearly 40 years. His interest in community networks dates back to the early 1980s when, as a graduate student, he co-authored a guidebook for communities interested in creating cooperatively owned cable TV networks. Since then he has continued to research and write about the feasibility and benefits of community-owned broadband networks, including a community fiber guidebook published in 2008 by the Public Technology Institute. He is also an Innovation Fellow at
Michigan State University’s Center for Community and Economic Development and founder and author of the Evolving Human Systems blog.
Over the years, Mitchell has been a consultant with the Berkman Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University, on national broadband access and competitive policy issues, and with broadband mapping projects in Kentucky and Louisiana. He has also worked with Strategic Networks Group and Pulse Broadband; Pike & Fischer, a unit of the Bureau of National Affairs (now Bloomberg BNA); Pangrac & Associates, Probe Reseach and Paul Kagan Associates. Mitch co-founded the IP & Democracy blog and more recently launched the Evolving Human Systems blog, where he has discussed broadband policy and economics, among other things. He received his B.A. in Economics from the University of Michigan and an M.A. in Telecommunications from Michigan State University.
Allison Ruhl | Email Allison
Digital Navigator
Allison is a graduate of North Dakota State University, with a B.S. in Family Science. A career public servant, Allison provides digital equity support right in her home community of Southwest Iowa with dedication and compassion. When not busy with her children's activities, she enjoys refinishing antique furniture and working on landscape projects.
Todd Kielkopf
Co-Founder, Emeritus
Through Kielkopf Advisory Services, Todd advises utilities, organizations, communities, and startups on business formation, strategic development phases, economic development, and financial matters. He brings his passion for innovation to CBAN.
Todd holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa and a Masters of Science in Business Administration from Iowa State University. He teaches business and entrepreneurship courses at Simpson College in Indianola, Iowa.